Road to Recovery

Fall is my favorite time of year.  We had the most incredible fall day today... our typical warm weather at the end of October.  

My dear friend was just released from the hospital on Friday after her second surgery in the past month.  I brought some homemade butternut squash soup over to her last night as a little recovery gift.  She'll be recovering for the next several weeks and is still on IV antibiotics at home, making it difficult to shower.  All she wanted to do after a week-long hospital stay was have her hair washed!  Not being able to go more than two days without washing my hair, I could totally relate. There is a Blow Dry Bar nearby that I have passed several times but never had a reason to stop by myself.  I couldn't think of a better time to call them!  I let them know that my friend was pretty delicate, considering this was her first outing since leaving the hospital.  They were so kind & gentle with her and did a lovely job with her hair.  She looked so happy when she was done --  I couldn't think of a better way to have spent my afternoon!

While her road to recovery is still long, I was so happy to see her looking and feeling happy from such a simple gesture. It reminded me how important little acts of kindness are and how much satisfaction I get from doing things for people that I care about.  

I wanted to share this story because as the weather cools down, many of us begin to get the winter blues.  I've been known to resort to retail therapy more than a time or two when I've felt down, but the dose of happiness from shopping is very short lived.  I'm feeling very grateful and happy this evening after spending the afternoon with my friend.  Giving feels much better than receiving.